Assembly Festival Garden, Coventry, reviews: The Magnets & Queenz

The Magnets: Legends, Assembly Festival Garden, Coventry, to May 8.

Queenz: The Show with Balls, Assembly Festival Garden, Coventry, to May 15.

Reviews by Keeley Brown

The Magnets

Listening to an a cappella group would not usually be my idea of fun...but after this show, my opinion of a cappella singing has been totally turned on its head!

These guys (pictured above) are quite simply amazing. It was hard to believe that there wasn’t a full band in the room. They started off strong with a sequence of well-known songs, and just kept getting better. As well as being talented singers, they engaged with the crowd with humour, they got everyone involved and even recruited a volunteer from the crowd to join them on stage. What happened next, you'll have to see for yourself!

Each member of the group had a unique talent which worked well with the others, and keeping them all on track was the beatboxer. If you closed your eyes, you would swear you were sitting next to a full drum kit. They performed hits by the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Blondie and Tom Jones among many others, and did a brilliant Magnets version of Bohemian Rhapsody.

It was a fantastic night, with the audience happily singing along. The only negative I have is that the hour-long show just wasn't long enough.

Queenz: The Show with Balls

I am a fan of all things drag, but for this show, you don't need to be. If you like watching talented singers and dancers perform a wide range of pop songs, you'll love it.

Think Spice Girls, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and more. These five divas (pictured above), fierce performers with fantastic voices, impressed judge Gary Barlow when they performed on TV's Walk the Line last year, and you can see why.

They have sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe, played to thousands in central London this year, and have many celebrity followers. One of the cast, Grant Jackson (Bella DuBall) went viral on TikTok with a Celine Dion vocal so good that he was accused of lip-syncing - but hearing him live leaves no doubt as to his talent. As well as the singing and dancing, in true drag queen style they engage with the audience and with each other, with quick and witty banter. There is also a strong message - that they celebrate all people regardless of race or gender, and all that LBGTQ+ stands for. This show is fast, non-stop fun, all glitter and sequins. The audience was up on their feet at the end and my hands ached for clapping.

Tickets for both shows from: https://coventry2021.co.uk/